Living near the beach doesn’t only have its appeal during the summer months. According to realtors along the Jersey Shore, winter rentals produce some decent business as well.

shore house in Lavallette
Shore house in Lavallette (Townsquare Media photo)
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Not only do rental prices usually run lower, but wintertime shore visitors don’t have to worry about the crowds and lack of parking that plague towns between the end of May and beginning of September.

Michael Loundy of Seaside Realty in Seaside Heights cited an influx of people looking to rent in the colder months. They usually grab the units right after Labor Day, and many stay until early spring when weekly and monthly prices start to spike dramatically.

“They can have the same rental at a significant discount,” Loundy said.

A typical unit that costs between $1,200 and $1,500 per week during the summer months, for example, can rent for as low as $1,200 to $1,500 per month in the winter.

Winter shore dwellers can include folks who just want to relocate for a while, but they’re also comprised of contractors and other professionals who’d benefit more from living closer to work for a while.

Larry Campbell with the Balsley Losco Real Estate office in Margate said winter business has slowed down a bit in the Atlantic County region as prices have narrowed between winter and annual rentals.

“They say to themselves, ‘Why do I bounce back and forth from one rental to another…when for an extra $200 a month, I can be stable for a whole year?’” Campbell said.

Much of Campbell’s winter business comes from the younger generations, bouncing around from home to home. He also handles clients who are professional gamblers and enjoy living near the casinos during the slower season.

Not every home that’s available during the summer is available during the winter, though. Owners of these units may see more cons than pros of renting them out to tenants during the colder months, especially given the lower price tag.

“You have to be really careful with who you put in,” Loundy said. “You want to make sure they’re not very hard on the unit. That could make it difficult for you to then get it ready for the summer.”

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